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Congenital protein C or S deficiency - Treatment

Alternative Names

Protein S deficiency; Protein C deficiency

Treatment:

Blood-thinning drugs (heparin and warfarin) are used to treat and prevent blood clots.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome is usually good with treatment, but symptoms may return.

Complications:

Childhood stroke
More than one pregnancy loss (recurrent miscarriage)
Recurrent clots in the veins
Pulmonary embolism

In rare cases, using warfarin to thin the blood and prevent clots can cause brief increased clotting and severe skin wounds. Patients are at risk if they are not treated with the blood-thinning drug heparin before taking warfarin.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of clotting in a vein (such as swelling and redness of the leg).

Blood clot formation

Blood clots

Reviewed last on: 11/8/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Schafer AI. Thrombotic disorders: hypercoagulable states. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 182.

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